The Hogwarts Wormhole
by P.T. Boyle
Summary: The children of the the most famous wizard of our time are now all attending Hogwarts, but now everything will change. A wormhole has taken Hogwarts through time and space, and dropped it in Panem. How will they cope, when faced with The Hunger Games?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts_. The grand school of witchcraft and wizardry had been rebuilt since the terrible battle that took place there. With Professor McGonagall as headmistress, all was well. The descendents of Hogwarts three most famous students were now attending the school. Albus Severus Potter and Rose Weasley were now fifteen, Lily Luna Potter and Hugo Weasley were now thirteen and James Sirius Potter was now sixteen. A fifteen year old Scorpius Malfoy was unfortunately attending Hogwarts too. All of them were surviving adolescence so far, unaware of the terrible events that would soon occur.

It was a perfectly normal morning. Albus, Rose and Scorpius were on their way to Professor Longbottom's Herbology class. Albus and Rose had been sorted into Gryffindor house three years ago, since then Albus had been wondering if he should had been more relaxed about the Sorting. Scorpius, of course, was in Slytherin. In fact, all the Potters and Weasleys had been sorted into Gryffindor, not that anyone expected anything different. Professor McGonagall was certainly happy, even though being headmistress meant no house favouritism. That was the job of the newly appointed Head of Gryffindor, Professor Longbottom. He was in Greenhouse Two, showing his fourth year class a bubotuber, when Professor McGonagall ran in. The class could tell by the look on her face that something wasn't right.

'Headmistress, this is an unexpected pleasure!' Professor Longbottom said, trying to keep the happy mood of his class.

'Professor Longbottom,' McGonagall said. 'Could you please come outside for a moment?'

The class murmured over what could be happening. Professor Longbottom walked outside with Professor McGonagall, unsure of what awaited him.

'What's going on?' Rose said to Albus.

'No idea, they seem to be looking at the sky,' Albus said.

The two professors were looking skyward, in shock. It seemed as if something was above the school, and McGonagall believed it to be dangerous. Suddenly, there was uproar as students piled out of Hogwarts and into the garden around the greenhouses. Some of them screamed, others just gasped, but the fourth years in the greenhouse couldn't wait any longer. Scorpius ran outside, pushing Professor Longbottom out of the way. He looked up, gave a high-pitched scream, and ran back into the greenhouse. He sat in the corner, hugging his knees and rocking back and forth.

'Scorpius?' Rose asked. 'What's happening?'

There was a long pause as Scorpius remembered how to speak.

'The sky,' he said. 'There is a hole in the sky.'

The greenhouse erupted into screams. Albus looked outside again. He saw James, holding Lily. He ran outside. It seemed that the teachers were in to much shock to do anything. Albus slowly looked up, dreading what he might see. A trumpet-like cone had formed in the sky. It was growing bigger, as if it was threatening to swallow Hogwarts.

'Calm down, everyone!' McGonagall called. 'There is no need to be out of class! Return to your classrooms. There is nothing to-'

McGonagall had been interrupted by the screams of most students. She turned around to see that the hole in the sky was now starting to come down over the North Tower. The funnel grew wider and started to come down over the surrounding area. Students started to run, but didn't know were to go. Albus, James and Lily did not run. They embraced each other as the cone descended and expanded. Lily and James closed their eyes, Albus took one final look at the curved sky. He saw that Hogwarts Castle was being torn up from the ground. He then closed his eyes, as the siblings all prepared themselves for the unknown. The ground shook. Hogwarts was sucked into what had been established as a wormhole. The Potters fell, and were pinned to the ground as the castle span around in nothingness. They joined hands, and prepared themselves for a crash landing. Soon enough, the castle and the ground that was attached to it landed.

Albus and James got up dizzily, Lily had passed out. Albus knelt beside her, patting her face and telling her to wake up. James jumped of the tilted castle and looked around him. He saw trees, and endless forest, accompanied by a powerful smell of pine. He saw men in white uniforms, marching towards the toppled castle. Surprisingly, it was in one piece. James tried to jump back up, but could reach.

'Al!' he shouted. 'Albus!'

Albus peered over the edge.

'Albus!' James shouted. 'Get McGonagall!'

'That won't be necessary, Mr Potter,' said Professor McGonagall, who was standing right behind James.

Through the crowd of men in white uniforms came a woman wearing a massive red wig and a silver suit. The combination of her red hair and her crazy make-up gave her the appearance of a crazy clown.

'Hello, strangers!' the woman said slowly. 'Do you speak English?'

'Yes, we speak English,' McGonagall replied scornfully. 'And who are you?'

'My name is Hilaria Castleton. Welcome to District Seven, Panem!

'Well, greetings, Hilaria.' McGonagall replied. 'I'm afraid I have never heard of District Seven or Panem and, in honesty, we don't plan to stay here.'

'Don't be ridiculous!' Hilaria cried. 'You are here and must stay! By entering Panem you have submitted your loyalty to President Snow and to the Capitol.'

'I don't think so! We will not pledge allegiance to this mad place, I have never even heard of it!'

At once, the men in white uniforms pointed their weapons at McGonagall. She froze. James tried to speak but could not think of what to say.

'Look,' said Hilaria. 'Miss-?'

'Minerva McGonagall'

'Miss Magonanol,' Hilaria continued. 'There is an event that takes place in Panem each year. It involves the death of district children. If you were to come quietly, I could see of no reason why any of the children in your building would be involved in it. Are there any children?'

'It is a school,' McGonagall replied. 'It is full of wonderful, bright children and it is called Hogwarts!'

'The name does not matter!' Hilaria cried. 'So, if you are the headmistress or whatever you would call it, then you shall decide if you and your school pledge allegiance to President Snow and The Capitol for the good of all of Panem. So, do you?'

McGonagall stood in silence, thinking. She could whip out her wand and start a battle, but she knew better than that. She kept thinking, until the thoughtful silence was broken by a flash of red light that knocked down one of the men in the white uniforms. Hilaria screamed.

'Control them!' she screeched. 'They're savages, I tell you! Savages!'

McGonagall turned around to see Scorpius holding his wand in the direction of the men in white.

'Malfoy!' she roared.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The men in white walked around the perimeter of the fallen castle until they got to the part were the sloping Hogwarts ground met with the flat Panem ground. They roamed the castle with their guns pointing forward, rounding up all the people inside and sending them out. After what seemed like an hour, the castle was empty of people. Hilaria pulled a megaphone from seemingly thin air and started to speak to the people of Hogwarts.

'New citizens of District Seven, Panem. You will now have your name and blood recorded by one of District Seven's Peacekeepers. If they ask you a question, answer it. Your compliance will help make this operation go smoothly and quickly. Do not be offended if they ask your age, they need to know.'

A Peacekeeper walked up to McGonagall and pricked her finger, then dabbed it on a sheet of paper.

'Name?' the Peacekeeper asked.

'I hope that was clean,' McGonagall said sternly.

'Name?' the Peacekeeper repeated.

'Minerva McGonagall.'

'Age?'

'Twenty-one and a bit.' McGonagall joked.

'Age?' the Peacekeeper asked again, crushing all possible humour that could have been.

'Eighty-four' McGonagall said, seriously.

'Date of birth?'

'Fourth of October, nineteen thirty-five.'

The Peacekeeper moved along to James, changing the needle then stabbing it into James' index finger. McGonagall thought about what terrible things might happen to the innocent children caught up in this mess. What would the president do? She decided to ask.

'Hilaria?' McGonagall called.

Hilaria walked towards her, nearly tripping up in her ten-inch high heels.

'Can I help you?' Hilaria said, proud of her power over them.

'I just was wondering if we would ever meet this 'President Snow'. He sounds like someone I would enjoy seeing in the flesh,' McGonagall asked slowly.

Hilaria giggled. 'You seek council with the president? Don't make me laugh!'

She walked back over to the Peacekeepers. McGonagall just sat and waited for the census to end, though she didn't know what would face them next. After about an hour, the Peacekeepers had finished.

'OK, everyone!' Hilaria shouted into her megaphone. 'You will now follow me to District Seven's Justice Building, where a very special someone is waiting to meet you!'

They rose, and formed a straight line behind Hilaria and the Peacekeepers. Lily ran to stand beside Albus.

'What do you think will happen?' Lily asked.

'I haven't a clue, but it will be fine,' Albus answered, trying to keep his sister from crying.

They walked through the gathering of trees; the forest seemed to be endless. They kept in their straight line, Peacekeepers at the start and the end. Not one of them knew what the Justice Building was like, but they had an idea of who was waiting for them. The trees stopped, and they arrived. The grand Justice Building was surrounded by people, the citizens of District Seven. It seemed that they had all gathered here to meet the new additions. Someone was standing on the stage-like platform in front of the building, a man with white hair. The crowd parted for the line of people walking towards the building. The way that the Peacekeepers followed them made them seem like criminals. They stopped walking, and formed a crescent in front of the stage.

'Welcome!' the white-haired man boomed. 'Welcome, newcomers, to District Seven! I came as soon as I heard about your building falling from the sky into the woods. I am the President of Panem, Coriolanus Snow.'

There was complete silence. The people from Hogwarts knew that this man was going to do something dreadful to them.

'You may have heard of Panem's famous annual tradition, 'The Hunger Games'. It is a spectacle of courage and sacrifice. Each district of Panem offers up in tribute one young man and woman from the ages of twelve to eighteen, to be trained in the art of survival, and to fight to the death. The names of the district's young women are all put into a bowl and the district's young men into another. How many times your names are in depends on your age and tesserae. Unfortunately I cannot explain in great detail how tesserae work, as I do not have enough time. I only came here to tell you that we have decided that in order to give the newcomers a better understanding of how things go here in Panem, only the names of their young adults will be placed in the bowls for this year's Hunger Games.'

The sounds of joy from the people of District 7 filled the air. They were safe for one year; they didn't have to worry about the Hunger Games. The newcomers, however, were already being punished. All of them knew what Scorpius had done, and all of them hated him for it. McGonagall pushed her way towards the stage, trying to catch Snow's attention.

'Mr President!' she screamed, in a pleading voice that wasn't suited to her. 'Please reconsider! Only one child rejected your kindness and hospitality!'

'I see,' he said, thinking about it all. 'What age is the child?'

'The boy is thirteen, sir,' McGonagall said, hating how much Snow now owned her and her students.

'Very well,' Snow said. He put both of his hands in the air to bring silence to the crowd. 'For this year only, in District Seven only the names of those from thirteen to eighteen years old shall be put in to the Reaping, with the names of the thirteen year-olds in once, going up to six times for the eighteen year-olds. That is all. Good day, District Seven, and may the odds be ever in your favour!'

McGonagall set about bringing all of the Hogwarts students and teachers together. Albus was comforting Lily, who looked like she was about to cry.

'It's OK, Lily. It'll be fine,' Albus said, rubbing her arm.

'Albus, two of us will be dead!' Lily said, defying Albus' calm approach. 'It could be us, it's not OK!'

'Don't worry about getting picked, and don't worry for anyone else.' Albus said, kneeling down. Then he said those words of accidental poison. 'Your name's only in there once, Lily. They're not going to pick you.'

Days of dread had passed; it was now the night before the Reaping. Lily couldn't sleep for fear of being picked. Albus and James decided to return to Hogwarts when everyone was asleep. Everyone from the school had been relocated in District Seven like evacuees. Some were still in possession of their wands, most, however, were not. James had his, Albus didn't. That was one of the reasons that they returned, the others being that they just wanted to see the castle that had been their second home. James led the way through the forest, wand illuminated. Albus stood right behind him, keeping an eye out for the possible dangers hidden in amongst the woods. They soon found it; it was very difficult to miss. The trees hid it to the people of District Seven, hopefully no-one had come across it and ventured inside.

'Stand still, Al. I'll get you up there,' said James, pulling out his wand. Albus stood straight and closed his eyes, preparing to be lifted into the air. 'Wingardium Leviosa!'

James lifted Albus up into the air. Albus flailed around above the greenhouses. Once he was over the soft grass, he gave James the thumbs up. He slowly descended to the ground. He landed, and walked into Greenhouse Two where his wand lay on a table. He picked it up, spun it up in the air, and caught it. He jumped off, casting a Cushioning Charm, and landed beside James.

'The stars are different here,' Albus said.

'What do you mean?' James asked.

'Some are gone, some new ones are here.'

'How can you just tell?'

'I pay attention in Astronomy, unlike some.'

'You should have been in Ravenclaw.'

'Well, I was put in Gryffindor, wasn't I?'

'You tell me. Were you put in Gryffindor, or did you put yourself in Gryffindor?'

'I don't get it, why are you being like this?'

'I'm sorry, I'm just tired. We had better head back.'

'OK, sure.'

They started to head back through the forest, both of their wands illuminated.

'Are you nervous about tomorrow?' Albus asked his brother.

'No, there's only one name that will be in the boy's bowl; Scorpius Malfoy.'

'I suppose this "Capitol" bunch is likely to set it up in their favour. They won't need odds.'

'Agreed. I'm just worried about Lily. What if she gets picked? It's not as if we can volunteer for her.'

'You can volunteer? Why would anyone do that?'

'I heard there are some districts closer to the Capitol where the people volunteer to play in the Games.'

'Mad people. I'll never understand them.'

They arrived at the houses in District Seven, and walked into the hut they shared with Lily and each other. Albus walked up to Lily and stroked her head. She had fallen asleep. It didn't seem like a bad idea, considering how life changing tomorrow, or rather later today, could be.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Albus woke up. He didn't realise that he had fallen asleep. Lily was awake, and dressed in a short, light yellow dress. James was putting on a blue shirt, looking out the window.

'Good morning,' James said to Albus. 'You might want to use the excuse for a bath we have through there.'

Albus sat up on his bed. He didn't recognise the yellow dress or the blue shirt. At first he thought that he was dreaming.

'Where did you get those?' Albus asked.

'The teachers have been making clothes for the Reaping since all we have is our uniforms and any other clothes in our suitcases. McGonagall's left you something.'

Albus walked over to the light blue shirt lying on James' bed. He examined it; it looked good for something that had been mass produced by magic the night before. He went into the back room, where a bathtub and a bucket of water awaited him. He gave himself the best wash that he'd had since Hogwarts arrived in District 7. He dried his hair, got dressed, and headed out into the other room in the Potter's hut like house. Albus sat down on the bed, next to Lily.

'Will mum and dad know where we are?' Lily asked him.

Albus didn't know what to say. He hadn't even thought about his parents. Would they know what was happening? What if one of the three children died? Hugo and Rose as well.

'I don't know, Lily, but I'm sure they'll find out somehow.'

James looked out the window. He could see people walking towards the Justice Building. The whistle sounded. It was time.

'OK, Lily, it's time to go now,' Albus said.

'Al, you're doing it again,' Lily replied.

'Doing what?'

'Talking to me like I'm five years old! I'm not stupid, Albus. I understand what's going to happen.'

Albus held her hand, and they walked out of the house. James followed, closing the door behind him. They melted into the crowd. Soon, after the identification process and the general panic, the boys and girls were separated. Hilaria Castleton swaggered onto the stage. She was wearing a purple suit and a green wig with a massive purple bow on. Her face was white, her lips red and the areas around her eyes black, giving her the appearance, once again, of a very scary clown.

'Welcome!' she screeched. 'Greetings, salutations, welcome! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!'

The video started playing. The video about the Dark Days and the rebellion, nothing about Hogwarts. Messages of the Capitol's "kindness" towards the districts, yet nothing about dropping twelve year olds from the Reaping. No-one expected a personalised message from the Capitol, but they had learned to expect the unexpected. Soon enough, the bore was over and the Reaping begun.

'First, the young women!' Hilaria squealed. She walked over to the bowl and let her hand hover over the bowl like a charmed snake. Soon, she struck and picked a name from the depths of the glass bowl. She walked back over to her microphone, unfolding the tiny piece of paper. She clears her throat. 'Lily Potter!'

All that could be heard was Rose's gasp of horror. Lily took a large gulp. Albus and James searched for her in the crowd of girls. Hilaria just kept beckoning her to the stage as if she was a dog. Lily breathed in, and out, and started walking out of the crowd.

'Lily, no! Get out the way! Lily!'

A commotion formed on the boys' side. Someone was pushing through the crowds. As they came closer to the aisle in-between the crowds, it became clearer who they were; it was James.

'Get your hands off her!' James shouted to the Peacekeepers around Lily. They just kept marching, until James wrapped his arm around one of their throats. The rest of the Peacekeepers tried to grab him, but they couldn't get a grip. He elbowed one in the nose, then punched one in the face. He seemed to have lost all sense of what was right. Two Peacekeepers ran in and started dragging him away. He kept screaming, 'Run, Lily! Just run away! Now's your chance, go!' They dragged him away, around the side of the Justice Building. Lily just stood in shock. The unharmed Peacekeeper walked behind her and nudged her forward to the stage. Once she had climbed the steps, Hilaria pushed her to the centre of the stage. Hilaria cleared her throat again and strutted back to her microphone.

'And last, but not least, the boys!' she whispered, sinisterly. She made her way over to the other glass bowl. Her hand dived in to the sea of paper slips, and resurfaced with a slip between forefinger and thumb. She unfolded it, and hollered 'Scorpius Malfoy!' Scorpius started walking, when a new voice was heard.

'I volunteer!' the voice cried. The owner of the voice was soon clear. They walked out of the crowd, and stood next to Scorpius. It was Albus.

'It seems we have a volunteer,' Hilaria said, disappointedly. It seemed as though she wanted Scorpius to be picked. Albus made his way to the stage and ascended the stairs. He walked up to Lily, who was so confused that she looked as though she could cry. 'What's your name?' Hilaria asked.

'Albus Potter,' he replied.

'Was that your friend who got picked?' Hilaria asked him.

'No.'

'Ah, is there rivalry between you both?'

'No.'

Hilaria looked at Albus disapprovingly. 'I see. Well, shake hands you two. A round of applause for our tributes, Albus and Lily Potter!'

Hilaria clapped, no-one else did. She turned the two children around, and pushed them into the Justice Building. They were put into two different rooms, where people could say their goodbyes before the tributes were carted off to the Capitol. Lily's first visit came from McGonagall.

'Hello, Lily,' she said softly.

'Why did Albus do that, professor?' Lily asked.

'He did that because he cares. He cares about you.'

'Then why would he put us in a position where we have to kill each other?'

'He's not going to kill you, Lily. He's going to protect you.'

Lily thought for a while. 'Have you been in to see him?'

'No, someone was already talking to him, but I'm sure he has volunteered so he can protect you from the other tributes.'

'And then force us to kill each other. Who's talking to him?'

'I think it's Scorpius, Albus sounded angry.'

The thought of an angry brother reminded Lily of what had happened during the Reaping. 'How's James?'

'We haven't seen him. The Peacekeepers are holding him somewhere. I'm sure they'll just talk to him, then they'll let him out.'

'He'll go to prison or something, won't he?'

'I don't know, Lily, but I'll see that he is freed.'

'Thank you, professor. I wish you could come with us and be our mentor.'

'I wish I could, too. In fact, that's not a bad idea.'

A Peacekeeper burst into the room. 'Your time's up,' he said.

McGonagall got up, winked at Lily, and then left. The Peacekeeper stepped outside the room and closed the door. Lily heard voices from the other side of the door. The Peacekeeper opened it, letting Rose and Hugo in.

'Lily, are you OK?' Rose said.

'Hopefully I'll be fine, Rosie. I have Albus, and he has me.'

'Do you have a plan?' Hugo asked.

'No, we'll take it as it comes. Have you heard anything about James?'

'He's talking to Albus right now,' Rose replied. 'It seems he got out fine.'

'Wonder how, does he plan to visit me?'

'I'm not sure. But anyway, Lily, we know that you are able to win this thing. You'll be able to practise with muggle weapons before the games anyway. They're all pretty easy to use; you don't even need an incantation.'

'Thanks, guys. I appreciate you coming to see me. McGonagall told me Albus was getting angry at Scorpius, did you hear anything?'

'Scorpius went in saying "thanks for saving me",' said Hugo. 'Albus got annoyed at him for thinking that he volunteered to help him, when he really did it to help you. Scorpius spoke to us about it outside.'

The Peacekeeper came in, telling them that their time was up. They got up, hugged, and the Weasleys left. Lily sat down, and examined the small room. The door opened once more, and in walked James.

'James! Are you alright?'

'I'm fine.'

'Your face, it's red! What happened?'

'Nothing, I'm fine. Why didn't you run when I said?'

'The Peacekeepers have guns; I would have been shot on the spot! Are you sure that nothing happened?'

'They hit me in the face, once. That was all. But I'm not here to-'

'They hit you in the face? What with?'

'His hand. But that's-'

'He slapped you?'

'No, it was more of a punch, but-'

'He punched you in the face?'

'Lily! Please, I'm fine. I got off lightly and everyone knows it. They said that it'd be forgotten, as long as it never happened again.'

'I'm just glad you're OK. That was very brave.'

'It was very stupid, what was I thinking? I could have killed us all!'

'But you didn't, so it's all OK.'

'I wish I could come with you, just to stand by your side while you're shown off to the Capitol.'

'I wish you could, maybe you can.'

'I asked, I can't. Even if I could, I doubt they'd let me in now, with my violent history.'

'McGonagall seemed to think that she could get in with me somehow. The only people that can go in with me are my fellow tribute, our escort and our . . . mentor.'

The door opened. Their time was, once again, up. Lily flew out of her seat and wrapped her arms around James. 'Take care of the Weasleys,' she said. 'And if you ever see mum and dad, tell them . . . tell them I love them.'

James kissed her forehead, 'Good luck, I know you'll be fine. '

'What about Albus?'

'He'll be fine, too.'

They both knew that they couldn't all be fine, and at least one of them would be dead. James didn't plan to say this, so he left the room, and didn't turn back. Lily could tell that James hadn't got off the hook with the Peacekeepers; she dreaded to think of what would happen to him when Albus and herself were away. That was the last person, so she, Albus and Hilaria started making their way to the train. James kept walking slowly out of the justice building. He dipped his hand into the glass bowl of boy's names and pulled one out. He unfolded it and opened it up. _Scorpius Malfoy_. He just needed to prove to himself that he was right. He pulled out another, just to make sure._ Scorpius Malfoy_. He folded them up, put them back, and walked on. He saw Professor Longbottom, sitting on a wall, examining his wand. James sat beside him.

'I'm sorry about what's happened today, James,' Longbottom said to him.

'Don't be, it wasn't your fault.'

'I felt so helpless, like I had no power over anything. That's what the Capitol want; they want the people to have no power.'

'I know how you feel. I don't know why I did what I did today, I'm so stupid.'

'What you did was natural. She is your sister, and you care for her. By the way, I've prepared a pain-killing remedy from some herbs in my office for this afternoon. Sorry, would you not like me to talk about it?'

'Not talking about it won't stop it from happening, Professor. These "Peacekeepers" just want to serve justice, and it will stop them from hurting Lily or Albus. Did you tell Albus when you visited him?'

'Not a word, James. Everyone else kept their promises, too. Lily and Albus haven't a clue.'

'Good, that's how it should be. Thank you, sir, for helping me.'

'It's the least I can do, James. I owe you and your family a lot.'

'Will you be coming to see it?'

'I don't know, do you want me to?'

'It's your choice; I'll probably be closing my eyes anyway.'

'How many times will they do it?'

'Twenty.'

'In that case, I had better give you something before it. It may start to wear off at the fifteenth time.'

'That's OK, I'll survive five of them.'

'I hope so, but I'll be treating you straight after it, so don't worry. Just hang on in there. I'm sorry, easier said than done, I imagine.'

'I'll try, sir.'

'God, James, that kind of punishment is medieval. I'll try to get them to reconsider-'

'No, sir. If this doesn't happen, they will take it out on everybody, and I'm not going to make everyone pay for my mistake.'

Longbottom put his arm around James shoulders. 'Your parents must be very proud of you, James.'

'Oh, that reminds me, my mum sends her love.'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lily and Albus boarded the train, Hilaria right behind them. It was the very image of the Capitol's luxury. Cakes and treats were displayed on stands all around the carriage, crystal chandeliers hung from the decorated ceilings and strangely coloured drinks filled glass bottles that sat on the tables. It was like a moving five-star hotel that was destined to take Lily and Albus to their doom.

'Well, isn't it wondrous?' Hilaria asked the children.

'It's like the common room,' Lily said.

'The what?'

'Nothing.'

'Oh, OK then. By the way, someone asked if since the tributes are from the newcomers, the mentors could be too.'

Lily and Albus turned to Hilaria, full of hope.

'And are they?'

'Yes. I contacted President Snow for them, and he seemed to be quite happy to do so.'

'So who's our mentor?' Albus asked.

'Good day, Potters,' came a voice from behind the children. They turned around, to see a woman in an emerald green robe standing the doorway.

'Professor!' Lily shouted.

'The train shall be moving soon,' Hilaria interrupted. 'It would be wise to take a seat, not that the ride is bumpy. It's just that the doorway isn't the best place to stand.'

They all walked forward. Lily and Albus sat on a settee each, McGonagall sat in front of them. Hilaria walked away to the next carriage to apply some more make-up to her face. Lily looked out the window, and saw District 7 moving away. It reminded her of why she and Albus were on the train.

'You are incredibly brave, the both of you,' McGonagall said to the children. 'You have taken today's events very well, indeed.' The two children smiled back, nervously. 'I brought you something,' McGonagall said to them. 'Did you know that tributes can take tokens from their districts into the arena to remind them of home?'

'No, professor,' said Albus. 'Have you brought us something to use as a token?'

'Yes, Albus, I have. I thought, since District Seven is the lumber district, that some sticks of wood would be fitting as tokens.'

McGonagall reached into her sleeve, and pulled out Lily and Albus' wands that they had left in their small wooden house.

'Now, tokens will be confiscated if they are shown to give any advantage to the tribute, so use them wisely and discreetly in only the most desperate situations, and I mean it. No conjuring of food or water, the arena will have some in someplace. Only use spells that will not make it obvious that you are using a magic wand.'

'Yes, professor,' both children replied.

'There will be training before the games, so practise using muggle weapons. You will also be able to practise things like setting snare traps and using camouflage.'

'Professor,' said Albus. 'How do you know this?'

'I was talking to a lovely young woman called Johanna. She had played in the Hunger Games before, so she knows quite a lot about them. Maybe I should have let her mentor you.'

'No, professor,' Lily replied. 'We're both glad that you could be here.'

'I'm glad. If you'll excuse me, I wish to speak with Hilaria.'

The two children sat in silence for a while, before Lily decided to speak.

'Why did you do that?' she asked Albus.

'So I could protect you,' he replied.

'But we can't both win!'

Albus didn't say anything, he just stared straight ahead. Lily thought it best to change the conversation.

'So,' she said, 'who visited you?'

'Scorpius, Slughorn, and McGonagall and Longbottom. You?'

'McGonagall, Hugo and Rosie, and James.'

'James? Is he alright'

'He seemed distant, as if he was hiding something.'

'I hope he's alright, I wonder what he's doing now.'

Suddenly, the train stopped. Albus shot up and ran to the window.

'This can't be it!' He said. 'We're still on the railway!'

Hilaria and McGonagall walked in, both looking completely in shock.

'I just received a message,' Hilaria said quietly. 'It's from the Capitol.'

She pulled out a small, rectangular panel of glass with curved edges. She tapped it, making icons appear all over the front of it. She kept tapping, cleared her throat, and prepared to read out the message:

'"Dear Tributes of District Seven, the President of Panem, Coriolanus Snow, has decided that your mentor shall be a past Victor from your district. Minerva McGonagall shall be escorted by hovercraft back to District Seven, and your new mentors shall arrive on your train as she leaves. Apologies for any inconveniences caused. May the odds be ever in your favour, The Gamemakers."'

'No!' Lily shouted. 'Why are they doing this?'

'I wondered that too, Lily,' McGonagall said. 'I've figured it out. Snow was happy for me to mentor Scorpius, because he believed that I would have not helped him at all, maybe even told him to die. But I wanted to help you, and now he knows who's been reaped, and he's changed his mind. Don't worry; the Victors will help you in ways that I could never try help you in. Keep safe, listen to them, and learn what they tell you. I believe in both of you.'

They hugged, as the hovercraft appeared over the train. McGonagall walked out of the carriage, towards the end of the train. A whooshing sound filled the air, and the hovercraft was gone. Two people walked in the door that McGonagall had just walked out.

'Lily and Albus,' Hilaria said. 'Meet your mentors, Johanna and Blight!'

Albus walked up to them, and stretched out his hand. 'Albus Potter.'

Blight looked at him, nodded, then walked away. Johanna shook his hand. 'Johanna Mason, and that's Blight. I'll be mentoring Lily, Blight will be mentoring you.'

Lily walked forward, and gave a sort of curtsy to Johanna.

'You're manners are certainly good, not that that will help you when you're fighting to the death. We understand that Minerva would be first choice for a mentor, but we will help you in any way we can. Please, sit down.'

Albus and Lily sat back down in their original seats, Johanna and Blight sat across from them.

'So,' Albus started. 'Any hints you want to give us?'

'Water's good,' Blight answered. 'So is shelter, and sponsors. Get people to like you, then they'll help you out.'

'How do we find shelter?' Lily asked.

'There should be caves or something,' Blight answered.

'But if you're really desperate,' Johanna added, 'there's always the Cornucopia.'

'The what?'

'The Cornucopia is a giant, golden horn full of weapons in the arena,' Johanna replied. 'The tributes start around it. By the way, don't go to it at the start if you wish to live.'

No-one said anything after that. Lily and Albus felt as though a huge chunk of information was missing, but didn't know what it was.

'What happens before the games begin?' Albus asked.

'Well,' said Blight. 'There's the parade where you're shown off to the Capitol, then training, then your interview with Caesar Flickerman. You have a stylist in the Capitol who has your outfits for the parade and the interview ready. The both of you seem good-looking enough for whatever costumes they throw at you.'

Albus and Lily couldn't tell what he meant, but both didn't want to talk about this anymore. They didn't fear the Games; they accepted that they were a part of them. For some strange reason, they felt calm and confident about the whole thing. However, neither of them knew why.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The light peering through the curtains woke Lily up. She couldn't remember going to sleep. The train had proper showers, not the tub and the bowl of water that they had back in District 7. She got washed, then put on the short yellow dress that she had worn the day before. She walked out of her room and into the carriage where everyone was sitting. Hilaria was in a blue wig and a yellow suit. She had light blue make-up around her eyes and a darker shade of blue lipstick. She was also sporting a frilly, blue necktie, and applying pink blusher to her cheeks. Johanna, Blight and Albus were sitting at the table, seemingly discussing where to find food.

'Hello, sleepy-head!' Hilaria called as Lily walked in. 'Do you remember last night?'

'Don't tease her,' Johanna said. 'She had a very tiring day.'

'What happened?' Lily asked.

'You fell asleep,' Blight answered. 'Albus and I put you to bed. Don't worry, we woke you so you could get dressed.'

Lily didn't recall any of it. She walked up to the spare seat beside Albus and sat down on it.

'So, I heard something about finding food,' she said.

'Yes,' Johanna replied. 'Albus was asking how to get food in the arena. Snares and traps are your best bet; there'll be stations for them at training.'

Lily took a slice of bread and started to spread jam on it. She put the knife down, and stared at the bread. She saw the strawberry jam, or rather, she saw blood; the blood that was to come. She put her hand to her mouth to stop herself being sick.

'You alright?' Blight asked.

'Yeah, fine,' she replied.

'It's OK, you have ample reason not to be fine,' Johanna told her.

'I know,' Lily said. 'But I'll pull through.'

Albus put his hand around Lily, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She picked up her slice of bread and started to eat.

'Do you think people will sponsor us?' Albus asked the mentors.

'The Capitol will just love you,' Johanna replied. 'Brother and sister? They'll be all over you!'

Much time passed as Albus and Lily tried to soak up every drop of information that Blight and Johanna gave them. Lily got up, and walked to the window. The scenery had changed.

'Is this it? The Capitol?' she asked.

'Yup, that's it,' Blight answered.

'Ooh, home!' Hilaria cried, running to the window. 'I haven't been here for ages and ages!'

Albus got up and hugged Lily from behind. The Capitol looked like a beautiful place. The buildings were tall, the water was clear and the sky was blue. It didn't look like the location of an arena of death. The train went through a tunnel, and arrived at the station. Hilaria moved out the way, and ushered the siblings forward. Outside, there was a jungle of fancy wigs and crazy clothes; the people of the Capitol. Albus waved to them, and some waved back. Without thinking about it, Lily blew them a kiss. The Capitol citizens started jumping, trying to catch her kiss. Albus and Lily just started laughing at them, forgetting that these people wanted to see them fight to the death.

They exited the train. Albus and Lily soon found themselves being prepared for chariot rides. Lily was lying down, her prep team hovering around her.

'You're such a breath of fresh air,' one said. 'It's been ages since the last half-decent looking tribute!'

They were waxing away, not that there was a great deal to wax. She didn't think about how she looked or what the prep team was thinking, she was thinking about James. She wondered if she could receive letters from home. She guessed not, but she had Albus with her. But she wasn't worried about Albus or anyone else; only James. She knew something was wrong, she could feel it inside her. Something had happened to James, but she didn't know what. Maybe it was just the sting of the waxing strips. The prep team had finished, it was now time for the stylist. It was a tall woman with black bobbed hair. She had massive blue eyelashes, pursed green lips and a blue dress with puffy shoulders and long sleeves.

'Hello, sweetheart,' the woman said. 'I'm Marina. Congratulations on getting picked, or do you not see it as a cause for celebration?'

'I see it as the worst thing that has ever happened to me,' Lily replied.

'If it was me, I'd probably feel the same. I'm sorry, Lily, and I'm sorry for your brother.'

'He volunteered.'

'I'm sure he doesn't want to be here.'

'Well, he shouldn't have volunteered.'

Marina looked at Lily. 'Are you angry with him?'

'Sometimes, yes, but I see no reason why I am. I mean, he volunteered so he could help me.'

'I wish I had a brother like that. Anyway, your outfit for the parade. I designed both yours and Albus', I hope you like them.'

Marina went out and brought in a dummy wearing a costume made of, what seemed like, books. It was like a short dress, the top half looking like an open, yet blank, book with a red cover and the bottom half being like an open book, upside-down, the pages acting like a skirt and with a plain red cover too. The shoes were red and there was a small book in the hair.

'It's to represent your district. I really wanted a change from trees, so I thought books!'

Lily examined it. 'It's lovely.'

'I know that it isn't exactly wearable, that's what the interviews are for.'

Marina helped Lily into the outfit and put the little book on her head. She applied a small amount of make-up to Lily's face and tied her orange hair back. Once she had finished, Marina took Lily to the chariot, where Albus was standing. What he was wearing had the top half of Lily's outfit, but black trousers with books on the knees and red shoes. Albus smiled when he saw his little sister.

'How are you?' he asked.

'Terrified, you?' she replied.

Albus didn't answer, he only nodded. He saw Lily's stylist and held out his hand.

'Albus Potter, Lily's brother,' he said.

'Marina, Lily's stylist,' Marina said. She shook his hand. 'I designed your outfits.'

'Really?' Albus asked, smiling. 'They really are wonderful!'

'Oh, thanks. I admire your bravery, volunteering to help your sister.'

Albus didn't know what to say. Before he could say anything, the two siblings were helped onto their chariots and the parade began. They looked at the tributes from other districts. They saw the tributes from District 1, dressed in white cat suits studded with diamonds, with gold shoes and a gold belt. Then District 2, dressed in togas and beige from head to toe to give the appearance that they were made of stone. Those were the only costumes they saw before their sight of the tributes in front was eclipsed by the tributes in front of them with their car costumes. They stood still until the chariots started moving. They held each others hands and waited for the sight of the Capitol audience to appear. Soon enough, it did. Albus started waving to the crowds, Lily was still amazed at the amount of people she could see. She had been trying to understand what Albus had been doing. Being nice to the people, trying to get sponsors. And all she had done was hung around with him. She felt like she needed to do more, something to make the Capitol remember the two Potters. As she was thinking, she heard something extraordinary; the Capitol people started chanting their names. She looked around, amazed, and caught sight of Albus' outfit. Now, the big book he was bearing had 'D7' on it in big black letter. Suddenly, it changed to 'Albus Potter'. Lily looked down at hers, and saw her name written on it. She whispered 'thank you', not that Marina would have heard it. The Capitol crowds cheered out for District 7, as the two Potters waved some more. After more playing along, the chariot stopped. The white haired man who had visited District 7 not that long ago was standing on his podium, waving to his people.

'Welcome,' he said. 'Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!'

Lily and Albus looked up at Snow, full of anger. Lily wanted him to fall down from the high balcony and be trodden on by the horses; Albus wanted his beard to somehow catch fire. They listened to him speak of courage and sacrifice. Once he had finished, the tributes were taken to the Training Centre to get back with their mentors, stylists and escorts.

'Good job,' Johanna said to them. 'You've definitely made a name for yourselves. Do you want to just go up to floor seven now? I imagine those outfits, as wonderful as they are, aren't all that comfortable.'

Lily and Albus gave a discreet nod, and they all headed to the elevator. Albus' stylist, Antonius, had his arm around Albus' shoulder and was smiling down at him. Antonius was a fairly young man with a large bush of mousy-brown hair sprouting from his head. Albus was feeling very uncomfortable around Antonius, or as Marina was calling him, "Ant". Albus was looking forward to getting away from him, even if it meant training for a fight to the death. Lily was waiting to ask Johanna about the tributes from the first two districts and why they looked so naturally happy. It would have to wait until they got away to their apartment, as those very tributes were staring right at them. The girl from District 2 had cleaned all the beige paint out of her hair and off her face. Her long hair was midnight black and her eyes were dark green. Somehow, she seemed to be the boss of the rest of them. Two more tributes dressed like a mermaid and a merman scuffed over to the fearsome four and started talking to them. Lily guessed that they were the kind of tough people who saw being a part of the Games as a privilege, and worst of all, in an alliance.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

'Here we are!' sung Hilaria. 'Apartment, sweet apartment!'

Lily and Albus stepped out of the elevator and walked into the large flat that would be their home until the Games began. Johanna and Blight walked out behind them, sighing.

'I remember my first time here,' said Johanna. 'I suppose the fact I'm here again proves it's possible to live through the games.'

Lily and Albus said nothing. They just followed Hilaria to the large table in the middle of the room, looking as though it could collapse under the weight of all the food on it. The apartment was beautiful, so beautiful it was easy to forget what the Hunger Games were all about. Some people stood silently around the apartment, seemingly they were servants. The District 7 crew all sat around the table, Lily and Albus sitting together. Lily still hadn't forgot about the six tributes she saw that seemed to be in an alliance and would hope someone would have the answers.

'So,' said Johanna. 'Any questions?'

'Yes,' Lily said automatically. 'I saw a group of tributes that seemed to be an in an alliance. Are alliances good?'

'Ah,' said Blight. 'I'm pretty sure you just saw the Career Tributes. Those are the tributes that see being reaped as a privilege. They train all year then volunteer as tributes, hoping that they'll win and get bathed in riches.'

With that, Blight started helping himself to what looked like a massive roast chicken.

'Wait!' said Antonius. Everyone else at the table rapidly turned to him, expecting him to share his discovery of a bomb inside the chicken. Albus had hurt his neck in the rush to see Antonius and was now rubbing it, wincing.

'What?' asked Marina.

'Shouldn't we say grace?' Antonius replied.

Silence fell across the whole room, to be broken by Hilaria's maniacal laughter. She turned, still laughing, to Blight, then Marina, then Lily, and back to Antonius. She was slamming her hand down on the table as if she was trying to press a button that would stop her from dying of laughter. Then, she slipped of her chair. She got up, silently, and sat back down, only to resume her cackling fit.

'What is so funny?' demanded Antonius.

'Grace?!' shrieked Hilaria. 'As in praying? You can really think there's some being answering your prayers?!'

Antonius stood up, looking like he could kill Hilaria. He grabbed the gravy pot off the table and tossed the contents over Hilaria. She screamed.

'YOU MONSTER!' she cried, as she tried to claw out his throat. Albus had gotten out of his seat and pulled Lily away. Johanna and Blight both got up to escort Lily and Albus to their bedrooms.

'Don't worry, you'll get fed,' Johanna reassured them. 'Right after those two have been separated.'

Lily sat on her bed and Albus sat on her left, waiting for the fighting to stop. Albus put his arm around Lily as he had done several times before. Lily felt strange, as though there was a large, empty nothingness on her right side.

'How do you think James is doing?' Lily asked.

'I'm sure he's alright, with all the teachers to care for him. He'll be just fine.'

'I had a feeling that something was wrong with him, not long ago.'

Then it clicked for Albus. James had told Albus what the Capitol where planning to do as punishment to him for attacking the Peacekeepers, but he hadn't told Lily. Albus presumed he shouldn't tell her either.

'As I say,' he replied, 'he'll be getting looked after.'

After a while, Johanna came in to tell them that Hilaria and Antonius where away. Hilaria was staying with her friend who was the District 4 escort and Antonius was away for a coffee by himself. They sat back down at the table and helped themselves to food. It had all be reheated and looked lovely. They did not ask any questions, they just wanted to eat then go to sleep. Being tired would not be helpful on the first day of training. They ate until they were full, said goodnight and then went back to their own rooms to sleep. Lily stared out the window as she lay in her bed. Her mind seemed more active than ever. She thought of Scorpius, and how he supposedly fancied Rose Weasley. Lily wondered if Rose fancied him back, but knew that recent events would certainly have broken any bridges between them. Sometimes Lily wished she was in Rose's year, as long as Hugo was too. She thought it would be fun with Albus and Rose.

Then something clicked. Scorpius was in Albus and Rose's year. He was fifteen. McGonagall told Snow that he was 13, that's why Lily's name was in for the reaping. How could she not have noticed? If he was 13 he would have been in her year with Hugo. Was McGonagall just getting old and forgetful? Lily tried to stop herself blaming her; she knew McGonagall didn't want anyone to be reaped. Then she wondered if Scorpius had tried to place the Imperius Curse on McGonagall to make the reaping fairer in his opinion. Lily then ruled it out; there was no way Scorpius could manage an Unforgivable Curse, especially on a mind like McGonagall's. Soon, after a while of pondering if 'Imperiused' was the correct term, Lily fell asleep and started to dream of home.

Her dream was rudely interrupted by sunlight pouring in the window. She tried to continue it, but just couldn't get back to sleep. She got up, and just started preparing for training. No one else was awake; training wasn't for a while yet. Lily showered, and then dressed herself in the training outfit that had been left for her. She came across some recordings of the reapings that had been left with a post-it note bearing the message '_Watch m_e'. Lily guessed they had been left by Johanna. Lily took them through to her room and started to watch them. The first clip was from District 1. A small girl was reaped, only for a tall, blonde girl to volunteer in her place. She revealed her name to be Angora, as in the type of wool. She was quite a pretty girl, with big blue eyes that seemed to stare into Lily's for a while. Then, the name of a rather tall boy with sandy hair was called, yet again, only to be replaced. This time, the volunteer was a blond boy, just a bit taller than Angora, who shook hands with the sandy-haired boy when he passed him. His name was Dynamo, and he constantly flicked his hair to the side even when it wasn't necessary. Next, District 2. The order of events was much the same. The female volunteer, Olida, had long black hair and emerald green eyes. There was something snake-like about her smile, and Lily knew from her relatives' experiences that snake-like people were not to be trusted. The male volunteer, Marcus, had short, golden hair and Lily was pretty sure she saw him wink in the direction of the girls. Next, District 3. There where no volunteers, just a small, dirty-blonde haired girl called Hayley and a medium height boy with short black hair and sticky out ears called Cole. Then it was District 4, and back to volunteering. The female was probably just a bit smaller than Olida and had dark brown hair and eyes to match. She revealed her name to be Kristen. Her male counterpart had spiky black hair and looked shorter than Dynamo or Marcus. Lily has just started watching the District 5 reaping when Albus walked in, all dressed and ready for training.

'Oh, you're up,' he said.

'I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep,' Lily replied.

'Well, everyone's up now. Coming for breakfast?'

Lily considered saying she had already ate something, then thought otherwise when she realized how hungry she was now. She sat next to Albus, ate, talked about the usual things with Johanna and Blight, then they all headed off to training.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Training had been dreadful for the Potters. Albus had been practising archery, and managed to miss the target completely on his first go. The Career tributes had almost died of laughter at seeing this, slapping their knees to express their high levels of amusement. They calmed down a bit after Lily managed to shoot the target right in the heart. Albus went to practice sword fighting, while Lily thought she'd try and make some allies. She spotted the boy from District 3, Cole, trying to tie some knots, and went to sit next to him. She sat down, and tried to catch eye contact, but he was either enthused in his knot or extremely shy.

'Hey,' said Lily, unsure of what Cole was thinking.

Cole stared at her. He seemed to examine her and then look around, until he replied with a faint 'Hi'.

'You're doing well,' Lily praised him, happy that he wasn't going to kill her.

'Thanks,' he said, feebly.

'I'm Lily, from Seven,' she said, admiring how Panem she sounded.

'Why make friends?' he said, his voice without any hope. 'You'll only miss them.'

Cole turned back to his knot. Lily thought about her next move. Before she said anything, Cole looked up and offered his hand to her. 'Cole,' he said, 'From Three.'

Lily shook his hand, and they gave each other a small smile. Then, there was a clatter from behind them. They turned round, and didn't see what had caused it. Lily stood up, and saw a girl with blonde hair on the floor, next to the stand on which bows and arrow were kept. Albus had already run over to help her up, which Lily deemed as the signal to turn away and presume it was all fine.

'Poor girl,' Cole said, still looking over in her direction. 'It must be so hard.'

'What must be?' Lily asked without hesitation.

Cole turned his stare back at Lily, and the world seemed real again. In his eyes, there was only oblivion. She realised she was training for a fight to the death, and that any odds there might be were not in her favour. Then he left, and she was no longer imprisoned in his hopeless eyes. She put her head in her hands and wondered what had just happened. She tried to forget it while tying knots, but it was impossible. How could looking into his eyes cause such a terrible revelation? She was aware before that she was to fight to the death, but it had always felt like there was hope, a chance of life. Why had it not sunk in until now? How could she ever not feel so hopeless ever before? Lily just sat, staring at her rope, and time flew by. Albus appeared next to her, and sat down.

'Hey there,' he greeted her.

Lily turned her head. 'What was wrong with that blonde haired girl?' she asked him.

'She didn't see where she was going and tripped, that's all.'

'Cole said "It must be so hard".'

'What? Who's Cole?'

'The boy from Three, over there.' She nodded in the direction of the archery practise area where Cole was standing next to another black haired boy, only the other boy had spiky hair, his ears didn't stick out and he was a little bit taller. They did not seem to talk or even make eye contact, and Lily seemed to understand why. If she remembered correctly, District 3 was the technology district, and a little bit of knowledge with gadgets could mean a lot in the Arena. So, tributes might save anyone with some of that knowledge so they could help them later or, alternatively for Careers, keep them hostage and torture the information out. Lily was surprised about how the cruel sciences of the Games were making sense to her now, and she felt a little bit more optimistic. After all, she did have a one-in-twenty-four chance of winning.

Training finished for the day, and the two Potters headed back up to their current home on Floor Seven. They sat down in front of the television set and Lily explained all that she knew so far to Albus.

'So,' she said, 'One, Angora and Dynamo, not friendly; Two, Olida and Marcus, very not friendly; Three, Hayley and Cole, remember them, they seem like potential allies; Four, Kristen and, oh, what's his name -'

'Isn't that Eric?' Albus assisted.

'Yeah, Eric,' realised Lily. 'They would seem sort of alright, but they're Careers, and that's where I last got up to.'

'Alright then, so, on we go?'

'On we go.'

They started off at the reaping in District 5. Both of the tributes were of the youngest age and appeared pretty helpless. The Potters agreed they would help them if they made it past the beginning. Then, it was District 6. The girl's name was Etta, and she looked as though she could be a valuable ally. She was dark blonde and probably about 10 centimetres smaller than Olida and five less than Angora, but she had a fighting look about her. She didn't look like the type to run away to die, she looked liked she wouldn't give up easily. Albus and Lily made a mental note to look out for her. Then, the male tribute was reaped. He was about fifteen centimetres taller than Etta and about the same height as Dynamo, but about nine centimetres shorter than Marcus. It was at this point when Albus asked Johanna, who was passing by, to give them a list of the tributes heights. She agreed to try and do so, then walked off. The boy from 6 had quite fashionable brown hair and his name was Tait. Lily liked the sound of that; Etta and Tait, Tait and Etta. She wondered if the people of the Capitol would be thinking the same. Next up, District 7. Albus and Lily looked at each other, gave a faint smile, then turned back to face the screen. As they recalled, Lily was called up by Hilaria, but then, something strange happened. Everything appeared to skip a moment, and then it was the male reaping. James had been cut out. His little revolution had been removed from the clip. Lily and Albus turned to face each other again, each with a look of disgust. They didn't really want to see James get taken away by Peacekeepers, they just wanted to have the chance to see him.

'Let's do it for him,' Lily suggested.

'Yeah, for James,' Albus replied enthusiastically. 'Let's get back to see him, he'll be missing us.'

James was indeed missing his brother and sister, but he knew if they saw him it would only make things worse. Albus found it hard to hide his knowledge of what James had been subjected to by the Peacekeepers from Lily, and Lily found it hard to stop herself from asking if James was alright because she feared the answer. Even though Lily had not been told, and even if Albus had not been told, they would both have known something was wrong. They were like a triangle, a golden trio; with one third removed, they were like a partially built structure or a key that hadn't been completed. Albus grabbed Lily and hugged her tight, hoping that her bright energy of innocence would protect him from the dark feelings growing inside of him.

'Ah,' said Lily, 'we missed Eight.'

'I met the Eight tributes today,' said Albus. 'They're convinced they can survive going to the Cornucopia at the beginning. After hearing that, I didn't pay much attention to them.'

It was now District 9 on the screen, and the escort was searching for a girl's name. The unfortunate female tribute was revealed to be Natalie Skeater and, for some reason, gasps went off all around. Soon, a blonde girl approached the stage slowly, her long hair nearly reaching her waist. She seemed to lose her balance on her way to the stairs, so a Peacekeeper came over to help her. Surprisingly, he held her hand and walked her up the stage. He put his hands on her shoulders and seemed to point her in the right direction. Then, he gave her a little kiss on the cheek and walked back down the stairs, seemingly wiping a tear away from his eyes. The escort started talking to Natalie, but the poor girl couldn't seem to form any words out of fear and shock. The glamorous escort concluded that she was lost for words as a result of being so honoured, and went away to reap a male tribute.

'It's a shame, isn't it?' Albus said.

'What is?' Lily replied sharply. 'Cole said that too!'

Albus didn't reply, he didn't seem able to. Lily grabbed the remote for the television and re-winded to try and find a close up of Natalie to see if there were any clues about the 'shame'. She paused at a close up of Natalie and made such a large gasp that she because short of breath. It appeared that instead of eyeballs, in Natalie's eye sockets were two large, misty pearls. There were no pupils or irises, just a cloudy white all around.

'Merlin's beard,' breathed Lily. 'She's blind.'

Lily rose and walked off, tears forming in the eyes she had become a lot more grateful for. Albus followed, but Johanna stopped in front of him and handed him a sheet of tribute names and heights. Lily ran into her room, dug her face deep into her pillow and realised how ignorant, or indeed, blind she had been.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

District 7. The Hogwartians had settled in, mainly residing in makeshift tents around the crash-landed castle. Professor McGonagall had been trying to encourage them to practise and study whatever they had been learning, which some did. However, ever since their school had been sucked through a wormhole into the future and had landed in the lumber-producing district of a corrupt dystopia, a few students, and indeed teachers, had been understandably not all that enthused in their schoolwork. Professor Longbottom managed to keep the spirits up with his friendly personality to all, but he was truly feeling very anxious. Anxious for Lily and Albus and how they would fair in the Arena, indeed, but for their brother too. James had recently been subjected to cruel punishment by the Peacekeepers for his outburst at the reaping ceremony. Professor Longbottom had been caring for his wounds with numerous herbal remedies but it seemed, however, that the Peacekeepers did not like this. The peacekeeping forces of District 7 were aware that the people who had arrived on the castle that fell out of the sky were indeed magical, but they had done their best not to let it sink in. It was as if they had heard an animal speak to them and had decided not to speak of it in case they were deemed as insane. The supernatural forces of the Hogwartians were not denied, but maybe even feared. The Peacekeepers knew without need for conversation that James Potter could surely be healed instantly with some form of enchantment or potion. In fact, they knew for certain, as it had happened before.

The first time James was sentenced to undergo the punishment fitted to the crime of attacking a Peacekeeper, it all seemed to go normally. Professor Longbottom had administered a herbal mixture to James that would prevent pain for about ten minutes. It worked, but for only ten minutes. The Peacekeeper administrating the penalty long exceeded the amount of lashes originally decided and James felt the great pain that was intended for him. He was taken back to Longbottom's tent, quite bigger than average, where Professor Longbottom healed his wounds with magic. The next day, he appeared outside, walking and smiling as though nothing had happened. The Peacekeepers noticed and grabbed him on sight, whisking him into the shadows.

'Fair to say you've made quite a recovery, haven't you?' asked one of the Peacekeepers venomously.

'Yes, sir,' replied James, feeling proud of his victory.

There was a short silence while the Peacekeeper tried to form his next move.

'Show me your back,' he demanded.

'What?!' squealed James. 'No!'

The Peacekeeper pointed his gun under James' chin. His eyes narrowed. 'Show me your back, Potter.'

He pushed James away, still holding him at gunpoint, and James did as he was told. He turned around to face away from the Peacekeeper and removed his shirt, closing his eyes, to reveal his unscathed and unmarked back. James got the feeling that the Peacekeeper was enjoying this a little too much.

'Well then,' whispered the Peacekeeper into James' ear, barely being able to contain his excitement, 'I don't think your punishment worked. I'll see you again at midday, Potter, and this time you won't pull any more tricks.'

James was petrified. The Peacekeeper walked away, leaving James standing shirtless and hopeless in the shadows. He forced himself to breathe and told himself that it would all be alright. If he could recover so easily once, he could do it again. He quickly put on his shirt and ran back to the castle, searching for someone to confide in. He spotted McGonagall, called on her while still running, then halted next to her and told her the whole horrid business. She listened intently as a flame began to spark behind her eyes and when James had finished, she looked as though she was ready to kill.

'Come with me, Potter,' she said calmly as she started to walk towards the Justice Building. 'Which Peacekeeper was it?' she asked him in the same unruffled tone.

'Eh, the once in charge,' James answered, 'with blond hair and brown eyes.'

'Ah, Cronin. Of course, who else?' she said without a trace of any emotion. 'Any idea where he might be?'

'Setting up the…the wood for the, eh…'

'Got him,' McGonagall announced, aware that James was finding it hard to form proper sentences. 'You wait here, or even better, stay out of sight.'

Martius Cronin was already well acquainted with McGonagall and with the Potters, having met on several occasions. Not only had Cronin been the Peacekeeper who took a record of McGonagall's name, age, blood and fingerprints, showing no sense of humour in the process, but he had been the very Peacekeeper to have ordered and administrated the punishment on James. In fact, he had been the Peacekeeper who received a punch in the face from James at the reaping ceremony. Cronin was standing watching the wooden structure, on which he planned to have James tied to and flogged, being constructed, observing eagerly like a vulture watching its prey wandering towards it. By the look on his face, it appeared that Cronin wished to be the one to reprimand James again.

'Hello, Marty,' McGonagall said loudly enough for those arranging the cruel wooden construction to hear. She was bubbling with rage, but was somehow managing to control herself.

'Minerva,' Cronin replied. 'I trust you wish to talk about the boy.'

'You have already subjected James Potter to a malicious beating. I stopped myself from doing something I would regret that first time, but now I would have no regrets. I could have quite easily stepped up and brought you down for even considering harming one of my students and frankly I am ashamed of myself that I didn't. So here it is; don't you dare hurt or harm any of my students in any way ever again or so help me I might just end up in a fight to the death with you. Is that quite clear?'

'If you are threatening to kill me then it might just be your turn to receive a "malicious beating" next.'

'Ah, but that's just it. You wouldn't take pleasure in trashing an old woman half to death. No, that wouldn't quench your sadistic taste. You would much prefer a young boy, a young boy like James. Yes, Martius, I can see right through you. You are sick, twisted, warped and perverse and every breath you take is a sin.'

'You have no grounds to insinuate and accuse me of such things, McGonagall.'

'Really, Cronin? I find the grounds that you have twice sentenced a sixteen-year-old boy to be whipped in public quite solid enough to construct my knowledge upon.'

'Minerva McGonagall, do you know who you are speaking to?'

'I know more than anyone else!'

'How dare you suggest that I am perverted in such ways?! Trust me, McGonagall; I shall see to it that you are penalized in a way that makes what happened to James look like mere school discipline!'

That was the last straw for McGonagall. She withdrew her wand from inside her robe, waved it in a circular motion, then pointed it at Cronin and yelled '_STUPEFY!_'

Cronin was thrown back into the wooden structure, knocking it over. There were screams from all of the surrounding witnesses, all of whom had crowded around to see some of the action. A Peacekeeper ran up to the bundle of sticks that was the structure for whippings and tried to awaken Cronin. He had been stunned and would not stir. McGonagall noticed the several armed Peacekeepers appearing so took action and cast a Disillusionment Charm over herself. Soon, she blended in and became like a human chameleon, free to get away. Only, she would be if there was not a crowd of people gathered around her. She pointed her wand at the ground, casting the Snake Summons Spell. A long black serpent was soon slithering around the people and Peacekeepers of District 7, causing them to scatter rapidly. McGonagall looked around for James and saw him peeking out from behind a tree to get a view of the madness. She ran as fast as her tired legs would take her, grabbed his arm and Disapparated with a pop.

They appeared inside McGonagall's tent. James fell to the ground, terrified, but forced himself back up and pulled out his wand.

'Show yourself!' he cried, his fear evident in his voice.

McGonagall cast the counter-charm around herself and slowly, from the crown to the toe, she began to appear. James put his hand over his heart in relief.

'What happened out there?' he asked her, still retrieving his breath.

'I stunned Martius Cronin,' she replied, 'then Disillusioned myself and then, for good measure, summoned a snake. Then, I grabbed you and Apparated to my tent.'

James stared at her in disbelief. 'With all due respect, was that the wisest choice?'

'No, James,' she replied solemnly, 'it was very unwise and I fear I may have given Cronin more reason to hate us.'

'So what do we do?' he demanded, his anger beginning to appear.

'Well, I become a cat and stay that way for as long as necessary. Or, I could try travelling to the Capitol but I wouldn't have a clue where I was going. Or, I could just hide in my tent.'

She looked at James and saw that her desire to put things right may have made them worse.

'I'm sorry, James. I'm sorry for everything. I've not made the best decisions lately and I've said things that were false-'

'What do you mean?' James interrupted. 'What have you said that was false?'

McGonagall took a deep breath. 'On his first visit to District Seven after we had arrived, I told President Snow that Scorpius was thirteen when, as you know, he is in fact fifteen. I had a feeling that if I told him the truth, he would object to letting children from twelve to fourteen be spared of being reaped, but if I said that Scorpius was thirteen, then he might just spare the twelve year olds. And he did. I couldn't have changed my mind after I said Scorpius was fifteen, so I didn't say it. But I cannot be completely sure that he wouldn't have spared the twelve to fourteen year-olds. I doubt it extremely as I know he is an evil man, but there can never be definite proof that he would or wouldn't have. There was a chance, a tiny little chance, that I could have saved Lily, and I didn't take it. Not a day has passed that I haven't-'

But James interrupted again. Not with a scream or a shout, but with a hug. A teary embrace. He held on to McGonagall as teardrops streamed silently down his face. He had never felt more respect for her than he did right now, this wonderful woman who had become like a step-mother to an entire school of children without a pause for thought. He wanted her to know that he never doubted her, not really, and no words could have given his feelings justice. McGonagall smiled and wrapped her arms around James, holding him tight as if he was his own. In that moment, they were not like a headmistress and her student, but a grandmother and her grandson.

'Trust me, James,' she whispered strongly yet kindly. 'I will not let you come to harm.'

They broke apart from each other and smiled, just for a moment, before McGonagall stepped back and transformed herself into a tabby cat, and strolled out of the tent. James had never witnessed regret and compassion coming from McGonagall before, only clever wit and firmness. He wondered if maybe she was starting to get tired and worn-out. After all, she wasn't as fit and young as she used to be, not that James had ever known a fit and young McGonagall. She just seemed to be doing everything at once now, but maybe it was just because of the wormhole incident.

Suddenly, someone burst into the tent. It was Rose Weasley.

'The Peacekeepers are coming' she warned him, 'but we've got a plan. We can hold them off and you can escape.'

'What?!' yelled James. 'You can't take on the Peacekeepers! And anyway, escape where?'

'The Room of Requirement. Professor Longbottom says he can Disillusion you and get you there. You'll be safe, you might even find something to help us get home.'

'Rose, no one else is going to fight for me. Don't do this; it will only make the problem bigger.'

'They'd do it if it was me, and you would too. Or if it was Hugo. Or Lily or Albus. Heck, we'd probably do it for Scorpius.'

'Want a bet?'

'We would fight for each other no matter who it was we were fighting against. Besides, these Peacekeepers don't even have magic, it'll be a pushover.'

'Rose, please, tell them to call it off.'

'No, James, this needs to happen. It's for all of us; it's to show we can stand up to the Peacekeepers. Now come on, they'll be here soon.'

Rose stretched out her arm, and reluctantly, James took it. They speedily walked out of the tent, looking all around for Professor Longbottom. They saw him, quivering and shaking as he jerked about on a broomstick up above them. He had never been great at flying, and it appeared that he was struggling to land. His broomstick flew, still in a horizontal position, down to the ground with great speed, then back up into the sky. It was a wonder that the professor stayed on. He looked around at the ground below him, and made a swift decision. He dived off the broom, and fell from the height of a three-storey building.

He pulled out his wand, shouted '_Aresto Momentum_' when he was mere inches from the ground, and his fall was cushioned. He stood up and pointed his wand at the madly flying broomstick, and slowly pulled it towards the ground. Once it was on the floor, he told Albus to get on.

'No doubt you'll be better at flying than me,' Longbottom laughed. 'Rose, you stay here and find somewhere safe to stay while I get James to safety.'

'I'll do what I can to help,' Rose answered. 'When I'm safe, I'll send you a Patronus.'

'A Patronus?' Longbottom gasped. 'You really do take after your mother. Now, come on James, let's see if all that Quidditch has paid off.'

James and Longbottom were both sitting on the broom, James at the front, and it began to fly up in the air. Rose watched, giving them a nod before running away. From his new height, James could see the Peacekeepers assembling as word got around of something strange happening at Hogwarts. James turned the broom to face the castle, and could see a new tower stretching up from up.

'We asked the Room of Requirement to help us get from outside to it quickly so you could hide inside,' Longbottom said, 'and it gave us that tower. If you fly into that hole in the tower's roof, you'll be taken to the room.'

James went full speed ahead for the hole on the towers roof. Suddenly, he saw something from the side of his vision appear and smash into the very tower he was heading for. He turned to face the direction it came from, and he saw what he did not want to see; two Peacekeepers manning a rocket launcher.

'Professor!' James shouted. 'Get those Peacekeepers, I'll get us inside.'

The professor didn't think much of the fact that James had just given him a command, but began to fire bolts of light from his wand to the missile-launching Peacekeepers. He did not hit them, and they fired a second rocket. James turned around to see the rocket coming straight for them, and swooped the broom down as to avoid it. He lost control. The force of the missile had confused the path of the broomstick and it began to fall to the ground. James tried desperately, but he could not regain control. James and Longbottom crashed into a tree, the broom snapped in two, and both its passengers were lying on the ground. James' vision was blurry and he was lying on his right arm. He brought his free hand up to his throbbing head and saw by the blood on it that he was injured. He didn't want to think about anything, he just felt tired. At that moment, a small, silver, shining robin landed beside him and twittered. James gave out a deep sigh, and closed his eyes. It was Rose's Patronus. She was safe, and right now, that was the best news James had. He forced his eyes open, and saw a white van decorated with the golden Capitol seal. Two Peacekeepers ran out of the back, pulled James up from the ground and shoved him in the van, slamming the doors behind him. It was pitch black; James was terrified. The van started up, and James fell backwards as it began to move. He quickly pulled himself up off the floor and began kicking and punching the wall. He smashed out in every direction, and only when he paused for a moment, he heard a quiet hiss. It was gas. James went to pull out his wand, but it was gone. He was already feeling tired after falling from a tree, but now he couldn't control himself. He fell to the ground, unconscious, as the van drove far away from Hogwarts and closer to James' fate.


End file.
